New Beginnings
by Jus Sum Dude
Summary: The League gathers to discuss what could be a new threat or a new ally: a half-demon girl of tremendous power. (Slight BB/Rae)
1. Chapter 1

The Watchtower. It hung there suspended above Earth, like a great stone tear or a small piece of an alien world. Silent among the stars, from their vantage point the heroes could watch over the entire planet, until the day her people could join them in the heavens. Inside however, the place was solemn and quiet. The Team had already left, so right now only members of League were seated. And none of them looked happy.

"So we're in agreement. Victor Stone, aka Cyborg, will be assigned to the Team."

There were a few curt acknowledgements of the Man of Steel's words, but the half-machine wasn't what they were really here for. No. Now came the main event.

Clark sighed. There were times where he hated this job. It was most of the time really. For example, every time he stood at the head of this table.

In the center of the heroes was the holographic image of a young woman, barely more than a girl really. She had pale, almost greyish skin, lavender hair and eyes, a red gem in the center of her forehead, and a deep-blue, almost purple cloak. So young, yet so much power, so much responsibility. Clark could sympathize.

"The girl cannot be trusted." Doctor Fate's deep, otherworldly voice said it simply, like he was telling everyone the time or the weather.

Of course, Diana wouldn't let a sister be accused like that. "What makes you say that?"

"She's a demon." The Lord of Order looked the Amazonian princess straight in the eye as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"So she's to be condemned because of the circumstances of her birth!" Wonder Woman stood up, indignant towards the sorcerer. Her warrior instincts urged her to leap across the table and strike down the insolent wizard. The only reason she didn't was because of Clark's strong hand on her shoulder.

"No. She's to be condemned because of her nature." This time Diana bucked forward, and it took all the strength the Kryptonian had in his left arm, enough power to level a continent, to hold her back. The princess looked back at her alien friend, half annoyed and half thankful, before taking her seat.

Not wanting the Watchtower to be destroyed, Superman decided maybe someone else should talk. "Anyone else have anything to say on the matter?"

The Man of Tomorrow was rewarded with an awkward silence and a few coughs.

It was Aquaman who spoke up next. "Perhaps Zatanna should give her professional opinion. After all, she is one of the most powerful magic users on the planet. What do you say?"

The League's newest member looked around nervously. She was currently caught between the warrior princess of Themyscira and Earth's sorcerer supreme. Forget rock and a hard place, this was more like being caught between a black hole and Batman.

"Umm… I'm going to have to agree with Doctor Fate on this."

Now Wonder Woman, Black Canary, Hawkgirl, Captain Marvel, Flash, and Hal Jordan were all standing up and shouting.

"This is absurd!"

"You can't be serious!"

"How dare you!"

"Seriously?!"

"She's just a teen!"

"Dude, what the fu-"

Superman snapped his fingers. Using his super-strength the resulting sonic boom easily got everyone to shut up.

For the first time standing up, Superman looked everyone in the eye. "Let's allow Zatanna to speak her mind first."

After the Man of Steel sat down again, Zatanna continued, although she was still quite nervous. "Look, I know it sounds harsh, but everything I know about magic, everything I was ever taught about mysticism, not to mention my own instincts, tell me that this girl will bring us… suffering."

Everyone was silent after that. No was quite certain how to respond to such an ominous statement coming from such a normally cheerful person.

"What would you recommend we do?" asked Superman.

"There is a room in the Tower of Fate," answered Nabu, "It can… contain her… for the time being."

"The Cage of Perdition?!" questioned Zatanna, having heard of this infamous room.

Once more, Wonder Woman was the first to voice her objections. "We can't just lock her away like some crook or an animal."

"Obviously not," responded the Doctor, "She's much more dangerous than any criminal or wild beast."

"Sure, why don't we just send her to the Phantom Zone while we're at it," muttered Hal.

Fate looked straight at the Green Lantern.

"I was being sarcastic!"

For the second time that day the conference hall erupted into arguing. The only people who weren't shouting were Icon, John Stewart, the Atom, Hawkman, and Green Arrow, who were sheepishly trying to decide whether or not to weigh into the verbal melee, Zatanna, who seemed to be visibly shrinking under the assault, Doctor Fate, who was looking haughtily at his fellow teammates, and Superman and Batman, who were glancing at each other.

Clark and Bruce had an unspoken agreement. When things were going well, Clark would run the show. He'd keep everyone calm and happy, and make sure that things continued to go smoothly. When things weren't going well, when the League was too busy arguing to get anything done, like they were doing right now, Bruce would set everyone straight with his trademark cold logic and death glares. With a gesture like offering an open door, Clark ceded the situation to his grim friend.

"Enough."

The Caped Crusaders echoing voice commanded enough fear to silence most of them, and enough respect to take care of everyone else. Even the Lord of Order dropped the arrogance in his eyes.

"First of all, the girl is dangerous, there's no denying that. She does need to be controlled.

But," continued the Dark Knight, raising his hand to hush Diana's protests, "There are far better methods of control than coercion. After all, camaraderie is a stronger bond than any chain.

I've had plenty of experience with prophecies, and from what I've learned we can't stop it. However, that doesn't make us helpless. We know that the girl will become the portal through which the demon will come. What we don't know is what happens before and, more importantly, what happens next. When that day comes if we are to prevail we will need her. We'll need all the help we can get.

We'll assign her to the Team. They'll teach her to control her power. More importantly, they'll teach her to make a difference. They'll show her she can fight and she can win. So when the day comes, when the end arrives," Batman looked them all in the eyes, "she'll do just that."

Bruce returned to Clark the same gesture he had sent him before. Clark used his super-speed to give Bruce a wink only he would see as he rose to conclude the meeting.

"Any questions?"

.

.

.

"I wouldn't ask this of you if I didn't think you could do it."

"I know," answered Nightwing, "It's just sometimes I wish…"

They both stopped. Nightwing turned to the hologram statue of Wally West aka Kid Flash. Wordlessly, Batman followed his former pupil.

"I wish things could be simpler," finished Dick staring at the face of his old friend. "I wish I could go back to the days when it was just me, Kaldur, Conner, Megan, Artemis, and Wally hanging out in a cave. Before the Reach, the Light, and before this. It just seems like everything's moving so fast and I haven't even gotten used to where I am before I have to leave it all behind."

Dick stopped, as if waiting for a certain ginger to make a smartass comment on moving fast. He'd be waiting a long time. Unless Bart stopped by, but he was still on assignment in London.

"I often find myself wishing the same thing," said Bruce. "I remember when all I had to worry about was Gotham. Back when Clark was just a name I kept in a file in case I needed to blackmail a certain alien. Back when you were just a dumb kid who could never shut up."

Dick laughed. "I guess now I'm just a dumb adult who still never shuts up."

Once Dick stopped laughing he turned to face Batman. "So why don't you just take her in? From what you've told me she'd make one hell of a Batgirl."

Bruce crossed his arms. "Superhumans are a pain in the ass when they're up here in the Watchtower. I try to keep them out of the Batcave as much as possible."

"That's never stopped Clark."

"I haven't really tried with him yet."

Dick laughed again. But when he was done his tone became serious. "Honestly Bruce, why me?"

Batman looked at him funny, as if amazed he hadn't figured it out yet. He probably was. "The girl doesn't need a mentor."

"But you said-"

"To guide and teach her. But not as a teacher. She's lived her entire life in a dimension populated by monks, I think she's had enough spiritual teachers she'll ever need."

After a second Dick smiled in realization. "You think she needs a friend."

"Preferably more than one. And I'm not exactly cut out for that kind of work."

"Can't argue there," agreed Nightwing, "so you're telling me the fate of the world may rest on my ability to get this girl a social life?"

Batman opened his mouth, perhaps to find a more delicate phrasing, before putting a finger to his ear.

"Gotta go?"

"Afraid so." The Caped Crusader looked grim as usual as he left for the zeta tube, knowing he was leaving a much more difficult and dangerous task for his ex-protégé. "Good luck."

Nightwing would have left as well, probably to go to the training room to see if Tim was still there, when he was interrupted by a voice as deep as Bruce's but as calming as Clark's.

"Well you are a sight for sore eyes."

Dick smiled. "Hey Kaldur." He turned to see his Atlantean friend in his familiar red and blue uniform. "You know, it's good to see you out of that black armor."

"It's good to be out of it," answered Aqualad, grasping his friend's hand in a warm greeting. "I noticed you have not been quite as…"

"Asterous?" finished Dick. He glanced once more at Wally's memorial. "Well I've been feeling the dis a lot lately."

"I understand. If you wish to talk some other time-"

"Hey Kaldur, remember the day we broke into Cadmus?"

Aqualad blinked, surprised by the direction of the conversation. "Yes. It was the day we discovered Conner."

"It was the day we discovered ourselves," corrected Nightwing. "You know if we hadn't gone out that day we'd probably still be sidekicks."

Aqualad chuckled quietly. "If only we had. Life would've been a whole lot simpler."

"Yeah, but we didn't. And now things feel more complicated than ever."

The two of them were silent after that. All that could be heard was the sound of birds in the aviary and the quiet hum of the Watchtower generator. Far off was the sound of heroes, eating, talking, walking, and training in other parts of the station. The quiet was comfortable, reflective, and serene, not like Wally at all.

"Did you ever want to start over?"

Aqualad looked at his friend, guessing where this was going. "Do you wish to go solo for a while?"

"No," answered Nightwing, "I just want to… start over. I don't know how else to say it."

Suddenly there was a voice in Dick's ear. Batman's voice. "Batman to Nightwing, report to the zeta tube."

"Understood, I'm on my way."

Kaldur placed a hand on Dick's shoulder. "Moving on is not the same as abandonment."

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Beast Boy was SOOOOO BOOOOORRREEEEDDD. Ever since the Reach and the Light had gotten their butts whooped there had hardly been any missions. Garfield was on his way to the cafeteria (everyone kept telling him to call it the commissary, but he could never remember), when he saw Nightwing striding down the hall with a look in his eye that told him something exciting was about to happen.

"Hey Nightwing!" cried out the green metamorph, hopping onto Dick's head in the form of a small monkey. "Can I come?"

Nightwing would have told him no, but then he remembered what happened the last time Garfield had gotten upset. The little grass stain had run to M'gann and what followed had been a very long and uncomfortable discussion with the Martian.

"Fine, just… don't get into any trouble."

The green primate whooped for joy on his head, did a backflip, and then transformed into a cheetah racing off to the zeta tubes.

When he arrived he saw two people who he had never seen before. They both seemed to be talking to Batman. The first was a tall black man built like a quarterback, who looked as if he was mostly made of metal. His face had a kind, open look to it, and Beast Boy instantly thought he looked cool. The second was a girl who looked closer to his age. He couldn't really see her because she was covered by a deep blue cloak, but under the shadow of her hood he could just barely make out a thin, refined face, pale skin, and lilac hair and eyes, which Garfield immediately thought was weird before remembering he resembled a walking salad with fangs and elf ears.

"Hi, I'm Garfield!" remarked the changeling, offering his hand to the metal man and the mysterious girl. Both shook it, the former with a strong grip, the latter with an unsure one as if unfamiliar with the gesture.

"Nightwing," began Batman, "there's been a crash landing in Jump City. We suspect the involvement of an unknown species of extraterrestrial. Witnesses are reporting what appears to be a humanoid female creature with orange skin almost seven feet in height exhibiting super-strength, flight, and an unknown degree of invulnerability."

"Understood," answered Nightwing. He turned to the new arrivals. "I know you guys just got here, but would you mind coming with me on this one. I don't want to waste time gathering a team when I've already got three right here."

"You can count on us!" answered Gar.

"We can handle it," said the metal man.

"Sure. Why not," muttered the cloaked girl.

Together they all turned towards the zeta tubes.

"By the way," said Beast Boy, "Who are you guys?"

"Cyborg," answered the first.

"Okay, easy enough to remember. What about you?"

"Raven." She answered simply, hoping a one word answer would get a one word reply. She was wrong.

"_Corvus corax_, huh? Say, can I call you Rae?

"No."

"Okay… _Rae_…"

Raven's righteous fury for the strangle little green boy was cut off as the zeta tube whisked them off to Jump City on a beam of invisible light.

Seeing them leave, Bruce almost smiled. They all just might make it out of this alive.


	2. Chapter 2

For an instant the empty alleyway lit up with the glow of instantaneous teleportation

SMACK!

"Ow!"

Raven had honestly only meant to slap the green pest. Her hand formed into a fist halfway through of its own accord.

"Aren't you a pacifist?"

Raven glared at the former Boy Wonder and de facto team leader.

Nightwing shrugged. "Batman told me."

She rolled her eyes and walked off as the glow from the zeta tube faded away, leaving Garfield to nurse his sore cheek.

"You okay?" asked Cyborg, who had been quietly holding in his chuckles up to this point.

"Yeah," answered Beast Boy, "You know, for someone who doesn't believe in violence she's got a mean right hook."

"Let me see that," ordered Nightwing as he took Beast Boy's jaw and inspected the damage.

Beast Boy kept his face straight and his voice as serious as he could. "So doc, how long do I have to live?"

Richard playfully ruffled up the younger boy's hair. "If you keep pissing off Raven like that, I'd give you about a week."

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Avoiding these kinds of situations was the reason Officer Gerard moved to Jump City in the first place. It wasn't that he hated living in Metropolis. Far from it, there were times when he missed the bright lights and street food vendors of the east coast. But there were just too many supervillains rampaging through the streets for his 40-year-old heart to handle. So it was with a little dismay, and a little too much previous experience, when he saw the orange-skinned extraterrestrial.

According to the eyewitnesses as soon as the thing fell out of the sky it went ballistic. Where the things arms ended, presumably where its hands would be, were instead two solid spheres of what looked like metal, connected to each other by a simple metal rod. Assuming these weren't a natural part of the alien, the Officer had to guess that they were restraints of some kind. Judging by the way the thing had been smashing them against every building, structure, and surface in sight, she seemed quite eager to get them off. But no amount of pounding, thrashing, or damaged property seemed to put a dent in the things. It must have been made of some incredibly strong stuff. Not that that seemed to deter the alien.

Currently the thing was kneeling down in the middle of the road and smashing the otherworldly handcuffs repeatedly against the asphalt. Police had already cordoned off the area and evacuated the city block, not that the civilians needed much persuasion, and the alien had so far been content to continue smashing away. It had already left craters in pretty much every building on the street. Gerard was just thankful the creature hadn't tried smashing any people yet.

"Sitrep. Now."

The voice was so authoritative the officer didn't even stop and realize who was talking to before he gave his situation report. "We have the creature contained for now. We've already tried Tasers and tear gas but to no effect. We can't seem to communicate with it. I've already had the area evacuated. We have over 40 cops and three SWAT teams ready to go if we need them, and I was about to call the National Guard."

"Go ahead. Better to be safe than sorry." Officer Gerard looked at the young man who was talking and his companions. He saw a tall, slim but very muscular figure wearing a black skin-tight suit with a blue raptor insignia on his chest. His hair was cropped short, and his eyes were hidden behind a black domino mask. Behind him was a young boy who couldn't have been more than 15, with green skin, hair, and eyes, a red and white form-fitting suit, a small layer of hair over his head that looked a lot like fur, and a grin on his face that looked wilder than he did. Next to him was another young man, although this one was clearly much older. Most of his body looked like it was made out of metal, except for the right half of his face and parts of his arms and legs. Those human parts revealed a chocolate complexion, a calming look in his eye, and a small smile that seemed just a tad bit cocky. The last figure Officer Gerard almost didn't notice. It looked like a short person in a deep blue cloak. The face of the cloak's wearer was hidden in shadow, and something in the back of the cop's mind was thankful for it.

"Keep your men on the perimeter," continued the masked crimefighter who the officer finally recognized as Nightwing. "We'll take it from here."

The rest of them just walked past the cop as if he wasn't even there. It took him a minute to realize that they were going in without clearance. He turned as if to stop them.

"On whose authority?"

"The guys upstairs," said Nightwing not even bothering to look back.

"God?" asked the cop, a little confused for a moment.

"The Justice League."

Officer Gerard stopped, considering the statement in his mind. He turned away from the vigilante and ordered his men to hold the perimeter.

"Close enough," he muttered under his breath.

.

.

.

"Raven, Batman's files were a little fuzzy on some of your powers. Could you use your empathy to calm her down?"

Raven took one look at the raging alien. She had never tried using her powers on an extraterrestrial before, but she could clearly sense its anger, hostility, and… fear?

"Yes. I believe so."

"Good. Do it. Cyborg, is your sonic cannon working?"

"How did you know I-"

"Detective. Is it working yet? I want a non-lethal option if this goes south."

"Ugh, sure. Just give me a sec." With a click and a whirr, Victor's right arm suddenly transformed into some sort of a glowing blue weapon.

"That is so cool!" said Garfield, a look of giddy wonder on his face. Raven rolled her eyes.

"Focus Beast Boy," ordered Nightwing, eyes narrowing as he surveyed the situation.

Victor leaned in towards Gar so Dick wouldn't notice. "I know, right!" he whispered excitedly. The two exchanged fist bumps. Raven rolled her eyes again.

"Cyborg and Raven, keep your distance. I'm going to try and talk this out. If anything goes wrong I want Raven to restrain her and Cyborg to blast her. Beast Boy, I want you up in the air and out of sight," continued Nightwing, ignoring the antics of the two teenage boys. "If she runs I want you to follow. Any questions?"

Beast Boy's hand shot up in the air. This time both Raven and Nightwing rolled their eyes. Dick reluctantly gave him the go ahead to ask his question.

"How are you going to communicate with her? The cops already tried."

Nightwing smiled. It could've been a lot stupider. "I want to at least try the peaceful route before we have to start blasting. Who knows, maybe I'll get lucky."

"Oh. Okay."

Nightwing was about to move on when Beast Boy's hand shot up in the air again. Sighing, he nodded to acknowledge Garfield's question.

"How do you know she's a girl?"

Nightwing blinked. He hadn't actually realized he'd used the feminine pronoun. Glancing at the subject in question he realized why he'd made the assumption.

She, or rather _it_, was wearing a light purple suit made of some sort of metallic-looking latex that covered up most of its body, except for its head. Its skin was a dark orange color, which contrasted brilliantly against its bright green sclera and darker green pupils. Standing out more than anything though was its brilliant, blazing hair. It began as a rich lust red at the roots and ended as a golden yellow tinge at the tips, with every imaginable shade of color in between the two. As the creature kneeled down, the silken locks pooled around like the outline of the sun.

"Never mind that. Let's go," ordered Nightwing.

Raven sensed a surge of embarrassment coming from the team leader, while Beast Boy heard his heart rate increase, smelled his sweat, and saw the nearly invisible blush on his face. As soon as Dick wasn't looking, the two shared a smirk.


	3. Chapter 3

They knew almost nothing about the alien, and what little they did know wasn't favorable. They knew the alien was capable of great destruction, and they knew it had no qualms doing so. They had seen it bend steel, shatter concrete, and resist the combined firepower of half of Jump City's police force. But Nightwing couldn't help but doubt all those reports as he made his approach. The creature was still, on its knees, eyes half-closed and mouth open. One look and Dick forgot this was a being from another planet. This was a person. And she was exhausted.

Without hesitation he knelt down in front of her, leaving just a foot of space in between them. Then he looked her in the eye and smiled as if they had known each other for years.

"Hi."

She gave him a look that would've approximated amazement if she hadn't been so tired. But she was tired, so she just stared at this hero from another world. Slowly, almost against her will, the corners of her lips turned upward. If she hadn't been panting one would've assumed it to be a smile.

Dick knew nothing of this creature's biology, but obviously it breathed air. He could also see that some sort of a liquid was on the surface of her skin. A tiny droplet dribbled down her chin, hung there like the morning dew for a brief second, before falling off. Before it could splatter on the hard asphalt, Nightwing caught it in a device that looked like a tiny test tube with a black box attached with several lights on it. The sudden movement startled the alien, but a reassuring smile from the strange boy wearing the raptor symbol quickly calmed her down. The device he had caught the droplet in was a state-of-the-art spectrographic analyzer, and after a few moments and a quiet beep it told him that the droplet contained small amounts of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium. But it was mostly made of water.

"It's sweat!" concluded Nightwing.

So the alien sweat. And that sweat was mostly water. Logically that meant the creature probably drank water, and if it was tired it was probably also thirsty. Nightwing produced from his utility belt a small canteen and offered it to her. The alien just gave him a skeptical look.

Nightwing chuckled. For a moment. Then he caught the glare the alien was giving him and quickly shut up.

_Okay, so she's new here, but she's obviously not stupid. She's not going to accept a drink from some random stranger, let alone a stranger from another planet. _

So Nightwing lifted the bottle above his head, tiling his head up and the canteen down, letting gravity pull the clear liquid into his open mouth. Then he poured a small amount into his palm and lifted it up so she could see it wasn't radioactive or anything. She leaned forward and sniffed it. Nightwing assumed that the fact he wasn't being pounded into the dirt right now was her approval. Once more, he offered her the canteen.

She gave him another look and lifted the massive metal orbs encasing her hands before letting them crash down onto the asphalt with a heavy clang.

"Oh. Umm…"

Answering his awkwardness, she simply leaned forward and parted her lips ever so slightly.

"Ugh…"

Reaching out, he tipped the canteen into her mouth, bringing the brim of the hard container to her open and ever-so-receptive mouth. Her plump lips wrapped around the cold steel. As the water flowed into her, little streams leaked out the corners of her mouth, dripping down her cheek and down further towards her-

Richard was _extremely_ grateful she wouldn't recognize the meaning of the red color currently blazing across his cheeks.

Up in the sky Beast Boy's literally hawkish eyes saw the two. Avian eyes are usually fixed in their sockets due to their disk-like shape. If this hadn't been true Garfield's eyes would've been rolling like the wheels on a school bus.

"Get a room you two."

Zooming in with his mechanical eye, Cyborg couldn't help but quietly snigger.

"Oh, he's so got the hots for her."

On the perimeter Officer Gerard and a handful of officers were observing the scene with binoculars. A young lieutenant leaned towards one of the SWAT team members.

"They're totally gonna bang."

Raven sat in the full lotus position, her breathing steady and her mind focused on the task at hand. She had been slowly and methodically using her empathy to calm the alien, and so far it was working. She had to be cautious, as she didn't want to alert their adversary. She couldn't tell much, but she could sense a great deal of inner strength, courage, and willpower. This was the sort of soul that would NOT appreciate having its emotions be tampered with. It was like defusing a bomb with your mind, only you couldn't actually see the bomb but instead had to feel out every wire and circuit with your fingers before making that delicate, crucial cut.

Suddenly she gasped as a new emotion entered the fray. It was a largely unfamiliar one, but it was undoubtedly very powerful. She had little experience with it, having only felt it by proxy using the people around her. For a second it quickly overwhelmed her. Her breath became fast, and her pulse became rapid. An unwanted blush raced across her cheeks. It was only there for a second before she reigned it in. That was all it took.

Suddenly the girl jerked away from his canteen. Water spilled onto the hard asphalt as she struggled to her feet.

"What's wrong?" asked Nightwing.

A rabble of angry-sounding, alien words rushed out of her mouth. She looked mad. Dick held up his hands, hoping she would understand.

"Listen you need to calm-"

The alien swung her restraints upward with lightning speed, intending to smash the boy in the chin. Nightwing reflexively leaped out of the way, lending deftly on his feet and un-holstering his electrified kali sticks. The girl pounced with her arms raised, intending to use the added weight of her handcuffs to help reduce her opponent into paste. Nightwing flung his upper body back, using the strength of his core muscles to keep him standing as he leveled out his body, until everything above his knee was parallel with the ground. Now Cyborg had a clear shot.

BOOM!

With a sound like thunder, a column of sound shot through the air until it hit the alien in the chest. If she hadn't possessed the power of invulnerability the vibrations would've shaken her body apart at the molecular level. But thanks to her extraterrestrial toughness it only threw her back a few yards. She got up slowly though, clearly weakened.

As Nightwing ordered, Raven focused her soul-self's energies to form a simple sphere, which took shape around her enemy, trapping her. She had no idea how strong it was, but hopefully that would contain it for a few moments.

Richard approached the sphere. She was clearly suffering. He reached out, touching the midnight, yet somehow translucent surface.

"Please. Let us help you."

The girl looked him in the eye. Dick didn't see the glowing green eyes, or the orange skin, or the inhumanly crimson hair. He saw betrayal. He saw tears.

"Wait-"

She ignored him as she crouched down. Gathering all her strength, she jumped with all her might. There was a crack as her shoulder impacted with the ceiling of her rotund prison, before it shattered. Her momentum carried her upward and onward, into the sky.

"Damn."

The cops were now in a panic. They quickly dispersed as they tried to spread out and figure out where the destructive extraterrestrial had gone. Nightwing glanced up. Beast Boy was already speeding off in pursuit. Nothing to do now but wait until someone found her. Hopefully once they did Raven would be able to teleport them all there.

Richard hoped Garfield would find her quick. Though the sun was still out the light was fading fast.

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Batman frowned. Hal had already downloaded his ring's database into the Watchtower's computer, so he had already identified the vessel. Shaped a like a dart made of grey steel, it was a reconnaissance ship, lightly armed, and optimized for speed. According to the computer it belonged to a species called the "Gordanians". According to the Oan files, these people were reptilian humanoids who preferred warm, humid climates. They were also infamous slave-traders. Wonderful.

Still, no scout ship could hope to win against the sophisticated defensive systems onboard the Watchtower. This orbital station combined technology from nearly half a dozen planets, plus a few secrets designed and installed by Batman himself. Not to mention the two Green Lanterns and the Kryptonian currently approaching the vessel. No, Batman was more worried about what that ship _represented._


	4. Chapter 4

Batman stood in front of the glowing Zeta Tube as a black-clad superhero emerged, looking annoyed and irate.

"This had better be important," snapped Nightwing, striding past his mentor and adopted father, too angry to look at him. If anyone else had used that tone with him, that person would be rapidly regretting their decision and questioning their immediate safety. Of course Nightwing, as his ward and student, was semi-exempt from this treatment.

There's a sort of comradeship that comes with trusting someone with your life, not in the hypothetical sense that most people use to refer to their loved ones and spouses, but the real one. This kind of trust stems from having, often at several times in the past, relied upon this other person to keep oneself alive. One of the signs of this closeness is the ability to instinctively tell when something is wrong.

"Everything okay?"

Richard knew there was little point in saying that it was nothing. But he was also too stubborn to admit it was something.

"It's nothing."

Bruce weighed his options. He could press him for the truth, but that would quickly get them nowhere. They were both experts in the fields of interrogation, counter-interrogation, rhetoric, debate, psychology, sociology, and, most crucially of all, how to piss each other off. And Nightwing would need all his wits about him for what awaited him today.

Eventually the two of them made it to the meeting hall, a large, pristine room with direct access to the garden and aviary, as well as windows as tall as a house providing an excellent view of the green and blue planet below, a calming and soothing perch from which the members of the League met to discuss matters of world-shattering importance… only to be greeted by giant, green, slimy, alien lizards!

"Nightwing," began Batman, "meet Sl'ark, the Gordanian Ambassador."

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"Anything yet?"

"No," answered Cyborg for what felt like the hundredth time. The Chief of Police turned away from the young half-machine, leaving him to work in blissful solitude. It wasn't that Cyborg wanted to seem like an anti-social jerk. It's just that he was currently trying to tie together the Jump City Police Department Mainframe, searching through every single security camera, traffic cam, and dashboard monitor at the city's disposal in order to use facial recognition software to search through the entire city in real time. The problem was that these machines were practically ancient, most of them having been bought back when Clinton was President.

_Still, it could be worse,_ thought Victor. _They could be Mac's._

"Umm… excuse me?"

"WHAT!"

The young officer, frightened and surprised by the superhero's sudden outburst, dropped the coffee he was going to offer to him. The cup of Joe promptly splashed onto one of the computers Cyborg was working on. There was a bright spark and a small explosion before the poor machine broke down and the monitor Cyborg had been staring at the past hour went dark.

Victor rubbed the bridge of his nose with metal fingers while the cop let loose a stream of apologies while futilely attempting sop up the mess with a napkin. Unfortunately, the entire mainframe soon burst into flame and he began sprinting in search of a fire extinguisher. Thus, Cyborg was left in a dark room with no company save for several totally unsalvageable, flaming messes that were once computers and his own, rapidly growing, headache.

"Well," mused Victor, "at least I'm alone."

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"War crimes?!"

Sl'ark ignored the outburst from Nightwing. The six foot tall alien stood calmly, his tail swishing behind him. Batman gave Nightwing a look that, although not exactly scolding, did remind Dick that he was dealing with a foreign diplomat. Richard sat down and tried to contain his indignation at the lizard-man's accusations.

For a creature that somewhat resembled a larger version of what you'd expect to find hiding under a moist rock, Sl'ark carried himself with a certain august strength. His six foot frame exuded authority the way only a confident leader's could. It didn't matter that his skin was green and scaly, or that his eyes were red and unblinking, or that his fangs were protruding from his lower jaw, too massive and sharp for his upper lip to contain. Like the two other aliens with him, he wore a yellow suit of armor that made his men resemble something like large, metal, lemon-colored barrels. However, unlike his bodyguards, he carried no weapons, but instead wore a golden sash across his proud chest and a silk-like robe that covered his lower body. Despite his lack of armament, the sheer intimidation of his presence, combined with his powerful muscles and impressive physical build, assured Nightwing that he could probably look after himself.

Sl'ark's voice was slow, measured, and calm. "I understand your natural predilection for distrust." His eyes seemed to bore straight into Nightwing. "But rest assured that we are here on a mission of peace and legality."

Nightwing was about to retort, most likely with something witty, crass, and woefully lacking tact, when Batman placed a hand on his shoulder. Dick looked at Bruce, before reluctantly sitting down.

"What exactly is your mission?" asked the Caped Crusader.

Sl'ark gave a quick bow of courtesy to the one in the cape. In his mind he noted that the long piece of fabric attached to this man's back must be some kind of status symbol. He placed a small, circular, holographic projector in front of him on the table.

The projector immediately began the Diplomat's presentation. First and foremost was a life-sized image of the red-haired, orange-skinned, green-eyed humanoid that was causing all this interplanetary tension. Nightwing noted that even on this floating image hovering over his head he could still see a fiery glow in her eyes. Like the eyes of a lioness, they were fierce, penetrating, and almost hypnotic in their deadly beauty.

"Her name is Koriand'r. And she is wanted in eight sectors for War Crimes."

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Officer Kenna had always wanted to become a superhero. He figured that if he spoke to Cyborg, maybe gave him a cup of coffee to break the ice, he'd find some way to get in to that very exclusive club of gods and goddesses. But of course he had to screw that up, and now the metal man seemed very interested in being alone right now.

So while one superhero worked his technological magic, Nathanial Kenna figured he'd see if he could help a certain other superhero work a very different kind of magic. So it was, with another mug of coffee in hand, he entered the empty, dimly lit conference room in the police station where the mysterious sorceress known only as Raven was preparing a spell.

As he entered he noticed three things. First, all the furniture, the tables, the chairs, etc., had been pushed to the side. Second, where the table had once been, in the center of the room, was now a five-foot wide pentagram, painted on the floor in some kind of purple paint. Third was the blue-clad Raven sitting in front of this pentagram, alone except for a few candles and incense sticks.

Nightwing had little formal training in the use of magic, but he knew enough from years of experience combatting its users (and dating one in particular) to know that almost all spells worked best when prepared beforehand. He had ordered Raven to prepare a teleportation spell so that when someone, whether superhuman or not, finally found their target they'd all be ready to leave at a moment's notice.

It was during this delicate mystical procedure that a young cop entered with a mug of coffee.

Raven would've just forced him out, but she was at a crucial part of the spell. So she kept her mouth closed and her focus on the bowl of crushed plants and minerals in front of her. Despite this, Raven's empathic sense could still detect a faint, somewhat unsavory wisp of nerves and ambition coming from the young officer of the law.

Figuring she might as well get some use out of him, she pointed at him.

"Rose water," she commanded.

The cop scrambled to obey, taking the brown cup of clear liquid next to him.

"Soooo… I was just wondering… how someone would… maybe… hypothetically… say… a _cop_… get into the Justice League?"

He tried to offer her the cup of coffee, thinking it would help him find the answers he was looking for. He quickly realized that the cup currently in his hand was the brown wooden one containing the rose water. Raven was now pouring black coffee into the bowl of mystical ingredients for her spell.

As soon as the black substance hit the bottom of the bowl the room was consumed in fire. Officer Kenna and Raven soon found themselves standing in a wide open wasteland. The ground was barren, dry, and blood red. All around could be heard the agonized screams of countless souls. Far off, so high and so large that Officer Kenna at first mistook them for clouds, were four glowing, red eyes.

While Kenna screamed a silent prayer for mercy from God in the one place he knew he would never receive it, Raven glanced at the bowl with a look of mild surprise.

"Huh."

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.

.

"Koriand'r is from the planet Tamaran. It is the eighth world in the Vega system, Sector 2828. She is also the crown princess and heir to the throne of Tamaran."

Hearing this both Nightwing and Batman raised an eyebrow, though they did so subtly so as not to broadcast their surprise.

"The people of Tamaran have been at war with their neighbors, the Citadel Empire, for generations. During that time Princess Koriand'r was expected to help lead her people against this threat. Instead she locked herself away inside her royal palace."

Nightwing kept silent as the Gordanian continued his presentation, though his eyes narrowed into a glare that made his old teacher almost smile with pride.

"However she was not totally inactive. In a short time she began conducting illegal attacks on civilian transport vehicles, legally operating as Gordanian contractors, attempting to leave the system." The projector began to display several videos. "This is security footage obtained from these non-military vessels."

There were several dozen on display. Some showed the exterior of the ships, facing the vacuum of space, while others showed the interior. In each case though, Nightwing and Batman both saw a similar scene. On the external cameras an orange-skinned woman would inevitably appear, punching her way through the hull with savage ferocity. On the internal cameras was that very same alien charging down the steel corridors of the ship with reckless abandon. After about 30 seconds the cameras would lose visual feed.

Next were images of ships, floating through space. In most instances the only visible damage was a hole torn into the side. But in a handful of them there was only wreckage. In one of them could be seen what appeared to be Gordanian corpses floating through the airless void.

"In most instances the crew was found, shaken but alive. But in more than a few the civilians on board were either killed from exposure to space after Koriand'r breached the hull, or when their power cores were ruptured during her assault and detonated."

"Why possible motive would she have?" asked Batman. Nightwing didn't say anything as he silently observed the evidence.

"In each instance when the ships were rescued their cargo holds were empty," answered the Gordanian. "We suspect that she stole the cargo onboard in order to later sell on the galactic black market for profit."

Nightwing's fist tightened.

The presentation continued. On screen was another image of Koriand'r, only this time she was accompanied by other, similar looking people who Batman could only assume were other Tamaraneans. Like their princess, they had orange skin, green eyes, fiery red hair, and wore some kind of purple metallic fabric. However, the other Tamaraneans were armed while Koriand'r was in handcuffs, the same restraints Nightwing had seen her wear. Everyone in the image's eyes appeared downcast, even the guards, except for the princess. Her eyes remained as defiant as ever.

"Eventually the Citadel Empire defeated the Kingdom of Tamaran. As Tamaranean law officially refers to the princess as a military combatant she was arrested on over a dozen counts of illegally assaulting civilian spacecraft, over a dozen counts of illegally seizing civilian property for the purposes of war profiteering, and over two dozen counts of illegally murdering unarmed civilians. Koriand'r was forced to surrender to Citadel justice, the punishment of which was a lifetime sentence of state servitude and ownership-"

"In other words, enslavement." Batman's voice was steady, but both Sl'ark and Dick knew that inside, the Dark Knight was far from accepting of this.

Sl'ark respectfully bowed his head before answering. "We know that your people do not generally approve of such practices. You are not the first species we have encountered with such biases. However, the Citadel is a sovereign power, and their interpretation of justice is not something for you, or anyone else for that matter, to judge."

"Tell that to their slaves," muttered Nightwing. Sl'ark and Batman pretended not to notice.

"Either way, under the Citadel's laws Koriand'r was considered the property of the Citadel Empire. She was eventually sold to the Psions, another neighboring race, and the Gordanian people were arranged to broker the deal. Our people were transporting her when half-way through the transaction we lost contact. We believe she escaped her restraints before commandeering the ship and forcing it to take her away in an effort to escape her crimes. We tracked her down to your world. Now we must ask for your assistance."

Sl'ark looked at the two humans straight in the eye as he talked.

"Will you help us find this fugitive?"

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"Absolutely not!"

"Nightwing," responded Batman, "I know this troubles you, but you have to look at this logically."

Nightwing looked as if he was about to unsheathe his twin kali sticks and give the pompous lizard man a beating unlike anything he'd ever seen on this side of the galaxy!

"Dick," continued Bruce, "Earth is one planet in an entire cosmos full of them, and ever since the incident with the Rannians we are in dire need of allies."

"We don't need allies like them!"

"Earth needs every ally it can get!"

Great. Now they were shouting at each other. Bruce stopped to close his eyes and sigh. Dick avoided eye contact, as if he were sulking like he did back when he was Robin. Bruce could tell that this was obviously bothering him quite a lot.

"I can stall him."

Nightwing perked up.

"I can tell him I need to wait until the rest of the League is here to make a decision. That'll buy you some time."

"How much time?" asked Nightwing.

"Most of the League members are either away on missions or they're off duty. I can get you a few hours at most. Can you find her in that time?"

"I can certainly try," replied Nightwing.


	5. Chapter 5

_Diomedea exulans_, more commonly known as the Wandering Albatross, is a species of sea bird famous for its incredible range. Able to travel nearly 500 miles in a single day, and possessing a wingspan that can exceed ten feet, these birds also possess a keen sense of smell for locating schools of fish close to the ocean surface so they can swoop down and scoop them out of the sea. All of these traits made this bird the ideal animal for tracking the alien girl. There was only one problem.

"I look like an absolute dork," thought Garfield as he glided above the city. "It's a good thing it's already dark out, otherwise everyone would be pointing up in the sky at the green, overgrown duck."

Gar was all for appreciating the inherent beauty in all animal life, and he certainly believed that all species were important, from Koalas to Vultures. But that didn't make this any less lame. He could be dive bombing between skyscrapers like a plane out of WWII as a Peregrine Falcon, or silently coasting like a stealthy avenger as a Great Horned Owl. But nope. Glorified duck it was.

_Well technically ducks belong to an entirely separate biological family from Wandering Albatross…_

The odor smelled like citrus and sweat, kind of like Nightwing's socks if he'd left them in a glass of orange juice. Garfield halted his internal rambling as it got stronger. He perched himself on top of a large, glass dome, which he identified by the large sign by the entrance.

"Jump University Botanical Garden," read Garfield. Peering through the transparent surface, he saw a thick jungle, made possible by the diligent work of college students and a greenhouse the size of a stadium. One of the glass panels was broken, probably by the alien he was tracking. Morphing into a _Tyto alba_, or Barn Owl, he quickly spotted his prey with the raptor's excellent night vision. It wasn't too difficult, considering that the forest inside the dome was dark green and she had bright red hair and orange skin.

"Beast Boy to Nightwing," said Garfield over his communicator, once he was back on solid ground and in his human form. "I've found her. Jump City University, Botanical Garden."

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"We've got her?"

"We've found her," replied Nightwing to Cyborg, "We still have to get her though."

The two of them strode confidently through police headquarters. Officials from both JCPD and the National Guard asked if they wanted help.

"No thank you. We'll take it from here."

The two of them entered the conference room. "Raven, it's time to…"

Nightwing's words died in his throat as he noticed the huddled form of a uniformed cop lying in the fetal position on the floor. The sorceress got up from her work.

"Is it time?"

"Umm…"

"Oh," started Raven, pointing to the policeman, who seemed to staring wildly into space, sucking his thumb. "He'll be fine."

Cyborg gave a nervous glance, first to Raven, then the cop, then to Nightwing and back again.

"Ugh… Okay then…"

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It was a testament to the strangeness of Garfield's life that he didn't scream in terror when a giant Raven exploded out of the ground next to him in an awesome display of mystical power. As the black figure dissipated in a shower of black energy, three figures stepped out of the shadows.

"Where is she?" demanded Nightwing.

"She's in there," replied Garfield, gesturing to the giant glass dome.

"Cyborg," commanded Nightwing, "Hack into the building's security systems, get me a clear image of what we can expect in there." While he did that, Nightwing pulled up live satellite feeds on his holo-display.

As the two crime fighters worked their techno-wizardry Beast Boy couldn't help but notice an inquisitive look from Raven being directed at him.

"What?" questioned the shape-shifter.

"You found her by flying in your animal form, right?"

"Yeah."

"And you called us on your communicator?"

"Yup."

"So… How do you carry your communicator in your animal form?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"You just burst out of the ground in a giant bird, and _that's_ what you find weird?"

"Enough you two," interrupted Nightwing. "We're moving in."

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The only light sources were the streetlamps outside, their glow providing a fairly meager amount of light inside the dome. Still, Nightwing decided to be extra cautious. Both Raven and Cyborg were waiting outside, since neither of them had received any stealth training. Every step he took, every movement he made, down to the space and depth of his breathing, was measured and calculated to minimize the disturbance to the environment. His progress was agonizingly slow, but he had to be sure. If he were to have any chance at all he needed to get as close as possible.

Finally, after what felt like nearly an hour of deliberate, painfully precise movement, his target was in sight. She was sitting upright on a rock in the center of a small pool of water. She didn't seem to notice him.

As he had been trained, he assessed the tactical situation.

_The target appears to be unaware of my location. I could easily approach from any angle. The jungle should restrict her movement, but we are in a clearing, so I'll need to make sure she doesn't retreat upward._

He noted the odd way she was carrying her arm, as if she was avoiding putting any strain on it. Difficult, since they were still encased in those heavy restraints. Nightwing thought back to when they had first met. He remembered how he had sat across from her and talked. He remembered how he had shared his canteen with her. He remembered how she had escaped from Raven's soul-formed sphere. The sickening thud his perceptive ears had heard when her prison broke.

_Her arm's broken!_

Just like that, all those years of training evaporated like mist in the jungle.

He stepped out from the foliage and walked straight towards her.

**Author's Note:**

**_Sometimes I look at all this crap I write and I think to myself, "Why is it the creative, inventive, and talented people have to die first?"_**

**_R.I.P. Mr. Oum_**


	6. Chapter 6

"Unacceptable Sl'ark."

The ambassador bowed his head respectfully. The humans had provided him with guest quarters aboard their Watchtower. The furnishings were simple, yet clean: a desk, a bed, and a window providing a clear view of the blue marble underneath. He had already scanned the room to ensure there were no listening devices. It seemed that this species was either overly courteous or foolishly trusting, as there was nothing he could find. The one named Batman had assured him that the room had been made proof against all forms of external eavesdropping, even against the Kryptonian. A quick second scan of the room confirmed this. So, undisturbed, Sl'ark contacted his superiors.

"Your government assured us that you would do all in your power to return our stolen property."

In front of Sl'ark was a life-size holographic image of a representative of the Citadel. Standing at nearly six feet, this gorilla-like hulk of a creature spoke with a gruff voice and crude mannerisms. The people of the Citadel weren't well known for their social grace or their tactful diplomacy, thus their need to use the Gordanians in matters requiring such skills. The relationship was remarkably beneficial for both sides, as in exchange the Gordanian government retained the sole right to buy and sell slaves from the Citadel.

"You can be certain that every appropriate course of action has been considered."

"That's the problem scale-face. You only ever consider the _appropriate_ options."

Of course, beneficial didn't necessarily mean harmonious.

"We have already promised to keep our agents and our technology off of Earth soil until the Justice League can properly convene to grant their permission."

The overgrown ape growled in response. Sl'ark had worked with these people long enough to know that he wasn't satisfied. He needed to appease them in some way. This girl was essential for the Citadel's plans for Tamaran, and Gordania couldn't risk losing their exclusive slave trade rights.

"Perhaps we could deploy an Agent?"

At this the Citadelian raised an eyebrow.

"Someone who can reasonably be claimed as an independent actor outside of our control."

The giant primate rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Plausible deniability would be of the utmost importance. It couldn't be a Gordanian or a Citadelian, the humans would connect the dots far too easily. But…

"I may have someone in mind…"

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The Tamaranean started as soon as the blue and black teenager emerged from the underbrush.

"I'm not going to hurt you," assured Nightwing.

Jump City University Botanical Garden was about as close to the actual rainforest you could get without leaving California. There was a full moon out tonight, but most of its light was eaten up by the forest around them. Shafts of silver filtered down between the leaves, illuminating the two of them. The alien leaned back on a boulder on one side of the clearing, her blazing hair cascading down its side like an auburn waterfall. On the other side was the teenage vigilante, barely visible aside from the raptor on his chest, sky-blue in the pale lunar light. Just a step back and he would've been completely invisible. Just one step between the safety of the shadows and the danger of the light. And he had taken it.

"Two people on an island of light in an ocean of darkness," observed Beast Boy as he waited silently, momentarily surprising himself with his eloquence. "I've really got to stop hanging around M'gann so much. I'm starting to talk funny."

"I'm not going to hurt you," repeated Dick. With his arms up he carefully walked forward, further into the clearing and closer to the girl. She stopped leaning against the boulder and struggled back into something resembling a fighting stance.

In Nightwing's many years of experience, exhaustion either made people sluggish and lethargic, or exponentially more dangerous. In this case he would have to assume the latter. He stopped where he stood.

"I'm not coming any closer," he said. He stood there, his hands in the air and his position totally vulnerable.

And he just stood there.

The forest hummed around them. Nothing moved but the gentlest of breezes and nothing spoke but the bugs and frogs. Moisture clung to the air, heavy like syrup, and from the earth below came the smell of fresh rain. The wind shifted a little and Nightwing caught the scent of the alien, sweet and light, so subtle he hadn't noticed it until he'd stopped for more than a second. The wind shifted again and this time the alien was downwind, easily catching the musk of this teenage superhero. Neither spoke. On opposite sides of the clearing, calm blue balanced against the vibrant orange. Just so long as none of them moved.

Nightwing took a step forward. Looking back on things, he knew he probably shouldn't have. The moment had been just right. Too right. The kind of right that doesn't last.

The alien jumped straight into the air with all her might. As soon as she did Nightwing radioed Raven.

"Now!"

The sorceress gathered her magic, whispering words of power in a tongue foreign to all mortal living souls. A wave of blackness swallowed up the Jump City University Botanical Garden, encasing the building in dark energy. Of course that wouldn't be enough. The alien still managed to burst through Raven's magical construct, just as she had before. But that had not been unexpected. There had only been one hole in the Garden's roof, the one she had made on the way in, and Nightwing had correctly guessed that the alien would try to escape via the same opening.

_BOOM!_

Cybernetic thunder roared as Cyborg's sonic blast slammed into his target's side. She was unconscious before she even began to fall.

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"This is Julie Madison from Jump City News reporting from Jump City University Botanical Gardens, here to tell you about the most recent failed attempt to capture the unknown extraterrestrial that's been rampaging all over the city. Tell me Nightwing, how do you explain your successive failures against this solitary foe?"

The woman on screen, a tall, black-haired beauty with stunningly good looks and cleavage to match, raised her microphone to the ex-sidekick. Despite his apparent annoyance, the one she called 'Nightwing' answered in calmly and clearly.

"The citizens of Jump City can rest assured. You all have my word that every possible solution has either been considered or is already underway. It is only a matter of time before this is all wrapped up. The Justice League has never failed the people of Earth, and it won't fail now."

The woman looked doubtful, although the barest trace of worry that had lingered on her otherwise flawless face lifted as soon as he mentioned the words, "Justice League." Interesting.

"This is the most recent transmission we were able to intercept from their News Media," declared the holographic image of Sl'ark on her right.

On screen the video clip continued. She could see the battle between the young heroes and their prey. After the metal man hit the girl with his sonic cannon she fell back down into the yawning blackness of the Botanical Gardens. But it was only a few short seconds later when a fast-moving blur, barely recognizable as the fugitive princess Koriand'r, was seen flying up, up, and away from the battle. The four superheroes could only watch her fly away in silence. A pair of observant eyes narrowed. That definitely looked like her. But still…

"I do not need to remind you what will happen if you fail," barked the hologram of the Citadelian on her left. His burly, brutish frame exuded the kind of violent energy that made her cautious just looking at his image.

Her vessel, a tiny stealth ship provided by the Gordanians, would remain in orbit, just behind this planet's moon. She would leave it behind and then make her way to Earth's surface. Luckily she was more than tough enough to survive the vacuum of space.

"Don't worry. My sister won't escape from me."


End file.
